Just another ordinary day in Tehran

What does an ordinary day in Tehran look like? What does it sound like? It would be convenient to say that “One Day: A Collective Narrative of Tehran,” a nine artist, multimedia exhibit at Intersection for the Arts, provides the answers to these questions. But in a city of 8 million people, in a country equally rich in history and volatility, the question of ordinary has no easy answer.

A hand cut map of Tehran in wool that sits directly in the center of the small exhibit room.

One of the exhibit’s installations, a video that displays two seemingly identical scenes of commuters in Tehran, asks the viewer to find the missing person whom the artist has erased from one of the recordings. It’s an impossible task, a commentary on the people who “disappeared” after the recent protests.

Another piece is a series of audio recordings from Tehran radio during the protests, which plays audibly throughout the gallery. Both signify an extraordinary time in Tehran’s modern political landscape, and yet, each also reflects a rather everyday occurrence for the people of Tehran: political radio and the commute hour.

Although less interactive, I found the photographs included in a few of the pieces equally significant. One showcases a simple image of the city’s seemingly endless skyline set atop a photo of people walking on a sidewalk, along with an inexplicable third image of what appears to be women in burqas rappelling down the side of a building.

Meant to be a conversation between its artists about their city, “One Day” does little to qualify Tehran and its people in broad, clear terms. Rather, it pulsates with exploration. Every piece feels specific, both to the artist and the narrative it’s revealing. I hadn’t expected the exhibit to offer any definitive answers, but neither did I anticipate it would leave me seeking any.

Ultimately, “One Day” never provides any authoritative statement to clarify exactly what defines “ordinary life” in Tehran — how could it? — but at least it poses the question.